Moving On
by alwaysreal18
Summary: This is my version of the life Katniss and Peeta lead after the end of Mockingjay and before the epilogue
1. Chapter 1

This is my First Story, I hope you enjoy. I have no interest in making this overly dramatic and sad, I only want to write what I would imagine happened in between the end of Mockingjay and the Epilogue. And Gale will not be in any of my stories :)

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Part 1: Katniss

Eyes. They are all i can see when I sleep. Prim's blue, Finnick's green, Rue's yellow. Their deaths play on the back of my eyelids like a projector. Over and over again until I wake, screaming their names and clawing at my sheets looking for a way to save them. But of course, I can't, and every time I wake up from my fitful sleeping, I'm shaking and covered in sweat, with the taste of salty tears on my tongue. This morning when I wake, the sun is peeking though a sheet of clouds, making me shiver at the dewy cold morning as I look around at the empty room. I hear Greasy Sae in the kitchen starting to rummage in the fridge so she can make me breakfast, seeing as how I rarely even get out of the house, its even rarer for me to buy food. She keeps me stocked, and keeps me eating. I don't do much of that either. I can easily count my ribs. But food just doesn't look appetizing to me anymore. And the one person who can get me to eat is never here to force it into me. Peeta tends to stay away for my safety. Ever since he planted the roses for me, he comes and goes mainly when i'm sleeping or when I make myself go hunting.

I haul myself out of bed, feeling relatively good for once, I bathe and get dressed. As i'm braiding my hair, I hear a knock at the door. I run down the stairs to see Sae walking to the door, when she opens it, I make out the distinct outline of Peeta. He has brought another loaf of cheese bread for me. He is too good to me. After all of the things I did to him, after all of the things the Capitol did to his brain and his memories of me, he still remembers that he cares. His attacks are getting much better, I'm just scared to let him see me vulnerable. He see's me at the bottom of the stairs and smiles, ending his conversation with Sae, he waves. I smile, and start walking to him. Sae goes back to the kitchen with the bread, and continues with breakfast.

"Hi Katniss." Peeta says with a grin on his face. For some reason, today just feels right for this. I smile back and reply "Hi Peeta." I pause, and continue, "Would you like some breakfast?" He considers this and agrees. We go to the kitchen and wait for Sae to finish, as she does they both chat about how the town is being rebuilt, and farming has started. By summer we should have a new outlook on the future of District 12. We eat in silence, which doesn't last long, considering how Greasy Sae's cooking has taking a incredible turn for the better now that we have better access to food. I sit there, relishing the fact that I have finally eaten a full meal, and that Peeta is up to something. As I look at him expectantly, he gives up his charade and asks me to go for a walk with him.

Peeta catches my hand as we walk down the road. I still have no intentions of going into town. The fact that my home was destroyed because of my actions still stabs me in the gut overtime I think of it. He knows this too, so he guides me towards the gate that President Paylor requested to have put in for me (as well as the rest of the district). We step out into the forest where I used to feel free, and the overwhelming feeling of loneliness hits me. Peeta catches me as I go down, and lifts me into his arms as he walks to a log. He just sits there holding me, and I feel safe again. A feeling I had not felt in a long time.

"I used to sleep with you to make the nightmares go away when we went back to the games the second time. Real or not Real."

"Real." I replied. I missed his strong, warm arms around me. They made me feel better. And I know that having me there made him feel better too, because as I looked up, his face was relaxed and peaceful. I leaned up and kissed him. Not a passionate kiss, but a more of a peck. A way to say thank you for everything today. He looked down at me, and with just that look, I knew that he was getting better. He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"You want me to start doing that again, but you are scared that I'm not stable enough yet. Real or not Real."

With a look of hurt in my eyes I replied, "Real." and a tear slides down my cheek.

He wipes it away, "Well, I think I had better start working twice as hard on getting better. It hurts me to know your hurting."

We sat there for a while, watching as game and people wandered by. Mockingjay's flew by, singing out the distinctive songs of other birds. I would whistle Rue's song, and they would sing it back and forth for a time. It made me happy, to think of Rue. I don't know why. I may never know, but I knew she was safe, and happy for me, as was Prim, and Finnick, and everyone else who had ever mattered in my life.

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Part 2: Peeta

Katniss drifted off while she was sitting on the log with me. I carried her home. I wish I could do more. I intend to keep the promise I made to her earlier. It broke me inside to know that she needed me but I couldn't be there for her. As I put her to bed tears started to fill my eyes, I turned away as they spilled over, knowing that the only way to make both of us happy, was if I could reign in the attacks once and for all.

I woke up early the next morning and called Doctor Aurelius so he could help me up my resistance to the attacks. His answer was one that I had unfortunately already come to expect. He said the only way for me to be more comfortable around Katniss, was for me to be with her more. So I got dressed, packed up some food and went to her place, where I opened the door to her screams. I ran up the stairs three at a time knowing that if there was one thing I could ever help with, it was this. I lowered myself onto her bed, wrapped her in my arms and held her close until she stopped her writhing and screaming. She slowly opened her eyes in bewilderment and looked up at me in confusion.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighbourhood?" I joked, hoping to lighten the mood slightly. She just stared at me, waiting for her answer. "I brought you home last night. You fell asleep on the log in the woods yesterday, so I carried you home and put you to bed. I didn't stay here, I just got here a few minutes ago, and you were screaming so I tried to help. It seems to have done the trick."

Her expression softens into gratitude, as she reached for my hand and entwined it with hers. "I like it when I can just sit here with you Peeta." I smiled down at her, "I like it too Katniss."

So we sat there, watched the sun rise through her window, and just held each other until I said (very romantically I might add), "You smell. I think you need to have a bath, and I'll go downstairs make us some breakfast okay?" The look on her face when I said that make me burst into historical laughter as she punched my arm and got up. She quickly sniffed herself and very indignantly said "I most certainly do not!" I got up, still laughing, and kissed her forehead telling her that I would be in the kitchen when she was done.

I started to cook some eggs and got a fire going for her. I sliced up the remainder of the bread from yesterday, making a mental note that I needed to make more, and had breakfast hot and ready as she came down the stairs. It still hurts me to see her, after all she went through in the past year, and I wan't there for half of it. I hated her when she needed me. It still bothers me that I have doubts. I shouldn't, I know I love her. It's what has brought me this far.

She really is beautiful, and so unaware of it. She smiles at me as I realize I had been staring at her for the entire time.

"I made you eggs. And hot chocolate." I don't remember her favourite food anymore. Other than cheese bread, I don't really know what she likes, but some memory tells me she likes hot chocolate. "You like hot chocolate. Real?"

She chuckles, "Only because of you! I came to breakfast one morning on the train when we were going to the first games, you were dipping bread into it. You said I should try it, and I did. It was very good."

But I wasn't listening anymore. At the mention of the games one of my attacks was starting. I felt my hands starting to shake, and I had started sweating. I grabbed onto the counter as I started to see the games though my now twisted and wrecked capitol mind. I wasn't seeing what happened anymore, I was seeing everything as if it was Katniss' fault. She killed Rue, she stabbed my leg after she stole the arrows from Glimmer. No, she didn't do those things. She is good. She is a good person.

I could hear her screaming at me. She was worried, and she was upset, and then, she grabbed my shoulders. I saw her then, and the back of my right hand connected with the right side of her face, straight into her eye. She fell to the ground before I even realized what had just happened.

Seconds later I came out of my trance to see the love of my life curled into a ball, hands cupping her face, looking at me like monster that I feel like. I stare at her for a few moments until I realize that tears are streaming down my face, then I run. I'm sprinting down the road, kicking open one of the empty victor houses, and find myself in one of the closets, balled up, and sobbing my freakin' brains out. I've been doing so well! How could that happen? I promised myself that I would never hurt her again, not after last time. I can hear her calling my name, but she won't find me. I don't want her to.

I wake from my confusing dreams up to the outline of someone sitting beside me, holding my hand. It's dark outside so I don't realize that it's her right away, when when I do, instead of hugging her like I should have, I end up hugging myself, dropping her hand, telling her to leave.

"Go away Katniss."

"No. Absolutely not." You really have to admire her strength. "Get up Peeta. I'm taking you home, you can't sit in a closet by yourself hoping that you won't be found."

I stand, and without touching her, I walk away. She comes running after me and stops in front of me.

"This isn't your fault. This is the capitols fault! Peeta, please! I can't lose you again!" This stops me.

"Katniss, your not going to lose me, but for now, I need to stay away from you." I begin to walk towards my house, and she runs to me again. I turn to tell her to just leave when the street lights illuminate possibly one of the only things that could make me feel worse at that moment, the purple and black bruise that had blossomed on her swollen eye. I reached forward to cup her face in my hand, but paused as her head instinctually leaned towards it. She looked at me with confusion on her face, while I turned on my heel and ran to my house.


	2. Chapter 2

I hope everyone likes it :) Reviews welcome

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Part 3: Katniss

Part of me understood what was happening, and part of me just didn't comprehend that Peeta was having an attack. It was one of his worse ones, but I have to admit, he had gone a long time without having one. It upset me, so instinctively I went to help, or comfort. I was trying to get him to come back to me, screaming his name repeatedly. "Peeta! Please come back! Peeta, I'm right here!" Needless to say, it didn't work, because then he hit me. It hurt, it was bound to, but it didn't hurt as bad as the emotional blow it was to have him hurt me again. Obviously it was not his fault, he can't control this, but I was in shock when he came to. I didn't say anything, I didn't do anything. I just laid there, and he ran away.

It took me almost an hour to make myself get up, and even then I could hardly move. I walked to the freezer to get something cold to put on my face, I could feel it swelling already. Knock, knock. Someone was at the door, it must be Peeta, he has come to say sorry, and then we can go on with our day. I open the door very fast, only to find Haymitch standing there.

"Hey sweetheart, I heard doors slamming and… what happened to your face."

"Nothing, I … tripped." I was going red in the face, we both know I can't lie.

"Don't you dare lie to me. Peeta did this didn't he?" He gives me that look. The "you should have known better" look. "Didn't I tell you to be careful around him? Not mentioning anything that could set him off!" He's yelling at me now, and I just take it. I deserve it. Even then I'm trying to defend him.

"We were having breakfast! and he made me hot chocolate, and he couldn't remember if I liked it or not so he asked me if I did, and then he asked me why! So I answered that he made me try it on the way to the first games!" I'm tearing up now because this is my fault, and my lovely Peeta is going to be beating himself up over this all day.

Haymitch just looks at me with pity. "Well then, if this is your fault, then you need to make that very clear to him. Go find him, and talk to him. He probably won't listen, and he won't want to see you for a while. But make it clear to him that his is not his fault. I'll keep an eye on him as well. Okay?" I nod my head, still feeling like trash.

"Give me three days, I ran our of liquor today anyways, and then train isn't due till later this week. I'll sort him out, and then he can come help you with that book of yours." and with that he turns on his heel, walks out on the street and points to a house that has definitely been broken into, then walks away to "tend" to his geese.

I give him a little longer so he can calm down, the last thing I want is to set him off again.

I walk to the house with the front door kicked him, and can't help but chuckle, this poor house is determined to be broken into, as this is then same house I broke into when I realized I was going back to the games. I shudder then and push the thought from my mind. I start downstairs, and do a full sweep of then house. Basement, first floor with all the closets, and then the second floor, where I find him sleeping in one of the large closets. He is twitching, and has a pinched look on his face, but to avoid another episode, I take a seat beside him, and hold his hand, hoping that my presence will sooth his dreams.

Hours later its dark outside and I have drifted off here and there, but I can feel Peeta stirring, so I turn to face him. He see's me, but hugs himself like a child. Something like what Annie used to do with covering her ears, trying to block out everything. He tells me to leave, I try to reason with him. He just gets up and walks off. I run after him.

"This isn't your fault. This is the capitols fault! Peeta, please! I can't lose you again!" He pauses. He explains that he is not going to leave me, that he will always be here for me. Then he walks away. I try to stop him one more time, only to have his hurt expression become mad with grief.

I realize with a jolt that my eye is not visible to him, and it probably looks horrible. His hand comes up to my face as if to caress it, but stops. My face was halfway to it when he paused, looked at at me, and walked straight to his house, just like Haymitch said he would.

The next day goes by slowly. I hunt to take my mind off things. Out in the woods it is quiet and sunny, not a breath of wind, which is good for me. I get a good haul today, considering my eye is getting more difficult to see out of, and take out squirrels specifically to bring to Peeta. This is my ruse to see him. I drop off the game where I need to, making Peeta my last stop. I knock on the door for about 5 minutes before I get an answer, and it only turns out to be Haymitch. I couldn't believe it, he is actually keeping his word to help him.

He sizes me up before he says, "I thought we agreed to give me three days with him."

"I'm sorry Haymitch. I'm just so worried and I went hunting. So I was just bringing him some squirrels. I didn't plan on staying, this is my fault anyways. I don't want him to feel worse than he already does." His eyes dart to my bad eye, which has overnight almost swollen shut, the outside is deep purple with yellow starting around the edges.

I could tell Peeta had been listening because I hear something hit a wall. Apparently he doesn't agree with my assessment on the "my fault" part of the conversation. I start backing away, not wanting things to get worse.

I look at Haymitch, "Tell him I love him." Its the best I can do. That is the only thing I know is real. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. He is everything to me, but I still just don't know how to show it. Then I turn and run back to my house, having a panic attack of my own.

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Part 4: Peeta

The vase hits the wall and shatters into a million pieces. I'm starting to feel like Haymitch, throwing things around in a fit of rage. She thinks its her fault, me hitting her.

"It isn't her fault." I say to no one in particular, and it doesn't surprise me that Haymitch answers with a "It damn well is her fault." The shock on my face makes me look like a child. He is supposed to be helping me! He continues, "You can't blame yourself for these attacks. You are doing a superb job handling these attacks."

"I still hit her, and I can't take that back. I almost took out her eye." i hold my head in my hands and stare at a spot on the floor.

"Well, Peeta i'm not going to be able to help you if your going to be like this forever. And you won't be helping Katniss by shutting yourself out of her life. That girl has been to hell and back, and you are one of the only people that can help her. She loves you Peeta, and if you love her as much as you made me believe you do, then you can get past this. I once told her that she could live a thousand lifetimes and never deserve you, it's time for you to prove that I was right." and with that, Haymitch left.

He may be a drunk, but he sure knows how to sucker-punch someone with words.

I gave myself two days. Haymitch had said that Katiniss was expecting me after three days, so I thought I would keep with the program. They were very long and quiet. They were also somewhat relaxing. I would wake early, go for a run and bathe. Then I would bake. I bake when I'm stressed, so needless to say, I baked ALOT. I baked cheese bread for Katniss, I would make plain bread for Haymitch, and I would drop them both off still steaming before the sun was even fully up.

On the first day, I called Dr. Aurelius again. I could tell he felt bad for me, but he just said, "Peeta, you are doing great for someone who tried to kill her just 6 months ago." I wince at the memory. "I honestly have no more advice from you. I already told you the best way to build up the resistance. You don't want to walk down memory lane, you want to move on and make new memories. This goes for Katniss as well. The only way for both of you to get better is to move on, if you feel an attack coming, so somewhere by yourself. I'll call in a few days alright?" We finish our conversation and I go on with the rest of my day, which unfortunately involves more attacks and then me laying on the floor.

The third day was better same morning routine, but I cleaned my house. Unfortunately it wasn't very dirty so I was done fast. I spent the rest of the afternoon painting. It was beautiful outside so I painted Katniss' house. Then I painted a picture of us. It was a painting of us from the previous day in the woods. It was one of the best moments we shared since the downfall of the capitol. Katniss and I, us, we, together, that how it is supposed to be. I thought about what Haymitch said, and realized the doctor was right. We need to make new memories. So I ran across the street and started banging on her door like a mad man. She answered after about 5 minutes and a smile lit up her face, while I just felt like I had gotten punched in the gut again.

The bruise was getting better at least. Her eye was completely open again, but it was still a purpley-grey color with yellow around the edges. I reached forward and touched it gingerly noting that the swelling had gone down as well. Then I grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. This hug was my attempt of making my unsaid words matter. She hugged me back just as hard. I leaned down and placed my lips on her bruise, where I held them for the next few minutes of silence. I started to pull away when Katniss stood on her toes and kissed me. It wasn't just any kiss, it was the kind of kiss that is completely a private thing and people don't do in public. I couldn't bring myself to do anything like that for now so I pulled away. She looked sad so I leaned in one more time for a quick kiss and smiled after. She smiled back to my relief and I knew it was time to ask.

"Katniss, would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow? I'll make dinner and we can go for a walk and I made you something and I want to show it to you and I really want you to come." It all came out really fast because i was so nervous, and she could tell, so she laughed.

"Of course I will." We both smile, I kiss her cheek and walk back to my house.

That night I could hardly sleep with the anticipation swimming in my mind of mine and Katniss' first real date. But when I finally fell asleep, I only dreamt of her, no nightmares.


	3. Chapter 3

Someone pointed out that there were a few spelling and grammar errors in this chapter that I originally published. I fixed it I hope! Enjoy!

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Part 5: Katniss

The first thing I can register is joy. Pure joy. I had spent the last year mostly without him, then I lost almost everyone I cared about, and he has been the only one to stay right beside me and help me through it all.

The next morning, when I woke up, I didn't even know what to do. How do you get ready for something like this? I can hear Greasy Sae in the kitchen, so I get up and ready for the day. When I get down there she checks out my eye, and gives me a big helping of breakfast. Peeta dropped off cheese buns this morning, so breakfast is extra good. I decide now is a good time to tell Sae that we are having our first date tonight. I don't expect this to go well, and it doesn't.

"You're going to his house tonight, alone. Just the two of you? After what happened just three days ago!" Sae continues her speech about how unsafe this is until I stop her by saying three words.

"I trust him." She stops and looks at me, I continue. "So much has happened to me in the past few years and through all of that, except the time he was gone or hijacked, he has been there to help. He would never do anything to hurt me while he was aware of it. It took me a long time to get here, but now that i'm here, I can't lose him again."

She just looked at me, then hugged me. "If that is what you want girl, then you do whatever you need to. But, as a favour to me, would you stop by my house? Just to say hi? I nod in agreement. She says one more thing, "Cover that bruise up. You don't want him to be upset." and then she leaves. I look around the house and decide that I should most likely straighten up. I don't have much, but my house is still a mess. It takes up the better part of my day, and when I realize what time it is, I go upstairs to cover my bruise and put on something nice. By the time i'm done, it's time for me to go.

I walk over to Peeta's and the door is open before I even have a chance to knock. He has the most beautiful smile. He gives me a quick kiss and leads me inside to the dining room, which had been transformed into something of beauty. Candles everywhere, and dinner laid out on the table. He pulls out a chair for me to sit down, and then sits down himself. We enjoy a relatively quiet dinner, mostly because neither of us want to bring up the last couple days, and because we are both just enjoying the pleasure of seeing each other.

We clean up together out of habit, despite Peeta's protest at me helping. Then we go for a walk. It's the beginning of summer, so it's not too muggy, but still warm and light out as we stroll through town holding hands. I make a point to stop at Sae's and she greets us both, and gives us some eggs to make it less obvious that she was checking on us, and we continue on with our night.

When we get back to the house its dark out,so we go inside, where I start a fire while Peeta gets my surprise ready. I'm sitting in front of the fire when Peeta comes down the stairs holding a large rectangle which I immediately recognize as a painting, but I can't think of what it could be. Peeta lays the parcel on the ground beside me, and when I touch it I realize it is more than one painting. I tear the paper off and stare at the first painting.

The first painting is of us. It's us the other day in the woods, me curled up sleeping on Peeta and him holding me in his arms. It's perfect. I look up with my eyes shining at him while he nods at me to look at the next one. When I lift the painting of us, all I can do is gasp.

It's Prim. It's me and my Prim. It's the day we got back from the first games. I had ran off the stage to hug her, and thats what this painting is of. Me on my knees holding Prim in a hug that I never meant to release her from. And Peeta has captured this moment forever on a canvas for me. Her hair the same cornsilk yellow, her eyes the same sky blue. It's her.

It's not until I look up from the painting that I realize i'm crying. I look at Peeta and tear falls down his cheek. He knows I love it, but he also knows that he has made me happy. I crawl across the floor and up onto his lap where I bury my face in his chest. We both sob for our loved ones that we lost and we held each other in comfort.

After sitting there for a few hours, I moved my head back to see Peeta still awake looking out the window.

He looks at me and says, "I thought you were asleep. Sorry if I woke you."

"You didn't wake me. I wasn't ever sleeping." I pause and look at him.

He yawns and stretches, "I'm tired. Would you like me to walk you home?"

I hesitate, then ask, "Peeta, can I just stay here tonight? I really don't want tonight to end."

He hugs me, kisses my forehead and picks me up, carrying me up the stairs to his bed, where I fall asleep in his arms.

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Part 6: Peeta

When I wake up, the first thing I register is that Katniss is still fast asleep in my arms, then I register how completely right this feels. Waking up in the morning with her by my side is one of the best feelings in the world.

I get up slowly so I don't disturb her and go downstairs so we can go on with our day.

Over the next couple months this is our basic schedule. We eat, we sleep, we start to make our lives the way we wanted them to be.

It takes a while for me to pluck up the courage, but finally one morning over breakfast at my place I tell her what has been on my mind for weeks.

"I think we should move in together." She looks up at me somewhat surprised. I continue, "Well, it only makes sense. We are always together, They could use this house for housing for larger families! Thats what they did with the other houses here. I don't have much, and your place is more home like anyways. It feels like a family place. And thats exactly what we need. A family."

Now I know that she doesn't want kids, so her next stoney look was not a surprise, but she realized what I meant. We had both lost our families. Me more literally than her. She only had her mother, and she only ever calls every few weeks to check in on us. We need somewhere where we can be together, so neither of us feels alone in an empty house.

She agree's once she has taken all this into consideration, and we begin to move my stuff into hers that day. It only took two trips, I didn't have much, and then one trip to the town hall to tell them that the house was now vacant, and we were officially moved in together.

The next few weeks were wonderful, but I couldn't help but notice that Katniss was looking at herself in a odd way. Now I know that she never really cared about looks, but lately she would look at herself in the mirror and almost survey herself. She would always be beautiful to me, but I could see she wasn't beautiful to herself. And I could't deny I was not as easy on the eyes anymore either.

I called Dr. Aurelius to ask him what my next move should be. He said that this sort of thing was common in burn victims and could turn ugly if not dealt with. So he gave me a few numbers to call and by the end of the morning I had sorted things out so we would have a couple visitors by tomorrow evening.

The next day I sent Katniss out hunting so she would be out of the house when they got here. I wanted this to be a surprise. And sure enough, by mid-day, everyone was here. Effie, Venia, Flavius and Octavia were sitting around the kitchen table waiting for Katniss to come home.

When she finally came back, she came in the door and called out my name, "Peeta? Why is there a car outside? Is everything okay?" I called back, "Everything is fine love, I'm just in the kitchen. Can you come here?" Everyone in the room was grinning from ear to ear when she walked in.

I couldn't have hoped for a better reaction. At first she was happy to see me, then she registered we had company and her expression changed to shock, and then to happy again when she realized why they were here. She looked to me, and I could hear her silent thank you almost as if she had shouted it at me. She walked over to Effie and hugged her, then continued the greet the rest of her team.

We chatted and ate dinner, then everyone headed off to bed, with a few snickers about the fact that we were back to sleeping in the same bed again, which to them is scandalous. I suppose they need something new to gossip about amongst themselves now that their once extravagant lives are now considered very boring.

Katniss and I changed with our backs to each other like we do every night, only I had forgotten my shirt and had to turn around where I saw Katniss looking at her naked body in the mirror. She looked away from herself for a second to find me staring at her, and she immediately attempted to cover herself up.

Feeling immediately sorry, I turned around and said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have looked." I paused, scared of what her reaction would be, and continued, "But you are still the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, even if you think you are damaged and ugly. I love everything about you. I really do." And with that I turned and walked into the bathroom the brush my teeth.

As I was standing up from rinsing out my mouth, I looked up to see her standing there, wearing one of my shirts and staring at me too. I pretended to be shocked and embarrassed and covered by chest with my arms. She smiled and walked over to me, where my arms were out waiting for her. She grinned into my shoulder and whispered to me, "I think you are one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen Peeta. And I love everything about you too."

We stood there for a moment before I kissed the top of her head and walked us over to the bed where we climbed in and fell asleep almost instantly in each others arms


	4. Chapter 4

Part 7: Katniss

Leave it to Effie to mess up the day this early.

Effie poked her head in the door, and used her signature saying, "It's going to be a big, big, big day!

I looked over at Peeta quickly to see him completely tighten up, her phrase sent him back to the games.

I crawled out of bed and went to the bathroom and locked the door. This was more out of his protection than mine, I was not scared of Peeta, but I was scared that he would do something that would end up hurting him.

I curled up on the floor and waited. Not too long after I went in there Peeta was knocking on the door. I opened the door and hugged him.

"I'm fine Katniss. They're getting better. Really."

I just held him. I didn't want to let him go. He kissed the top of my head and tipped up my chin to look me in the eye.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Peeta. I just get worried about you. I don't ever want to lose you again." I smiled at him and kissed him, then we walked downstairs to eat, since it was going to be a "big, big, big day!"

After we all ate, I was whisked away by my Prep team where they started to work on me. The goal was of course, "Beauty Base 0," but my skin would be forever thin after the skin grafts, so the body polish was very light, and the moisturizing bath was twice as long. When I was in the bath, they went out of the room, which was odd because they usually stayed and gossiped while they waited for me.

When they came back they explained that they were just doing Peeta too.

"He may have been the one to call us for you, but we weren't going to ignore him! He was almost as bad as you!" Venia exclaimed. Then Octavia whispered in my ear, "By the way, he is a very good looking boy. I might just try to steal him from you!" Then she winked and went back to work.

Once they had completely moisturized me a second time, then went to work on my hair. It had been growing out for a very long time, but the layers were still very chunky and were all very un-even. They cut it down until it was barely long enough to put in a braid, but still cleaned up and pleasant.

It took almost half a day, but by the end of that they had cleaned up my skin, which now looked good, considering it was still a patchwork, and they had restored my hair so that It could actually start growing again.

I walked downstairs to see Peeta with his back turned talking to Effie. Effie reacted with a small squeal and tapped Peeta on the shoulder so he would turn around.

He was radiant, his skin was like mine, and he looked just generally spruced up. I was genuinely happy to see him taken care of, but judging by the look on his face, I was no where near as happy as he was.

He didn't let me go the entire night, and I was pretty comfortable with that.

Part 8: Peeta

It's been a couple months since Effie and the Prep team came to fix Katniss up, and I'm happy they did. She completely turned around, she's happy and starting to enjoy things more. We both still have nightmares, but we have one another now, and things are getting easier. We both miss our families, mine is gone forever, and Katniss' mother is living in District 4 burying herself in work. She calls once a month to check in, she was pretty happy when we moved in together. She always had a soft spot for me, and she is happy that Katniss is being taken care of. But I thought that they both needed a little something more.

It was almost Katniss' birthday, so I decided to surprise her. Ever since the rebellion, where people were moved between districts, people have been visiting the other districts just for fun, or to visit friends and family. It isn't so much at your convenience, you are told whenever there is a train, and that is the one you take. Lucky for me, there would be one here tomorrow afternoon. So I made her dinner, and gave her the good news.

Her face lit up. "Peeta, you're taking me to District 4 to see my mother for my birthday?" I nodded, waiting for her next reaction. A huge smile crossed her face, "Maybe we can see Annie and the baby? And I can call Johanna, she can meet us there. That would be wonderful! Thank you Peeta!" She crossed over to me and sat down on my lap, "When do we leave?" "Tomorrow afternoon." I replied. She looked at me with a surprised look on her face, then it changed to almost a pleading look. "Go pack you big baby!" I gave her a push and she just stuck her tongue out at me while she ran up the stairs.

The next afternoon we were on the train heading south towards District 4. We had called Annie in the morning and she and the baby would be waiting to have us stay there right beside the ocean for a few days. Johanna would be there for a couple of days while we were with Katniss' mother.

The train ride was fast, and we were there the next morning. Mrs. Everdeen was waiting at the station for us. She was looking thin, but still well at the same time. I guess working 6 days a week takes a toll on your body, but it was also her ticket to sanity. She was overjoyed to see us both. Hugging us, asking when our "real wedding" would be, joking around about Katniss being "pregnant" again. She was happy to have her daughter there. You could tell she was lonely.

Mrs. Everdeen lived in a small complex made for doctors and nursing staff. It was dreary, but very tidy and homey. We sat and chatted, then she went to make some lunch. We ate and she started to question us about our living arrangements. We all had a good laugh at this, seeing as how two years ago she was always saying Katniss was too young to have a boyfriend, now we were moved in together and sleeping in the same bed. Katniss' mother was very good about the whole thing now because she knew I was too old fashioned for anything more than just sleep, and that it helped us both having someone around when the flashbacks were too overwhelming.

She asked about the town, how things were now. We told her that everything was progressing very well, they were building a medicines factory soon to offer lots of jobs to the district, and the town was being rebuilt, and the workers were getting payed well now. Katniss mentioned that she was now allowed to hunt as much as she wanted, which made her mother happy, and she also mentioned the wonder of how Buttercup had somehow made his way back to their home. Her mother teared up at this, and then Katniss went and held her. The two of them sat there in a embrace as Mrs. Everdeen cried on her shoulder. It was only then that I realized how much this woman had lost in her life. Obviously her parents weren't around anymore, she lost her friend that was in the Quarter Quell with Haymitch, her husband died in a mine explosion, her youngest daughter was picked for the games and her oldest volunteered for her instead, and then she lost her youngest to the rebellion. She had to be one of the strongest women I had ever met, I could see where her daughters had got their strength from.

But she had herself back in order fast, and said, "Well, he always was very protective of Prim, I'm glad that he is protecting you now. Peeta and Buttercup, you won't every have to worry about your safety will you?" With this she had her eyes on me expectantly.

I looked her dead in the eye and said, "Mrs. Everdeen, you are one of the strongest women I have ever met. Both of your girls were lucky to have you in their lives. Somehow I doubt that Katniss would ever need me to protect her, but if she ever did, you don't need to worry."

She nodded a silent thank you to me and continued to talk to Katniss until the phone rang telling her that she was needed at the hospital. She had to leave right away, so she gave un directions to the beach so we could go for a walk, told us we were welcome to anything in the house and showed us our room, as she would be gone till tomorrow. Tomorrow was Katniss' birthday, so she was working extra so she could have the entire day off.

She was just walking out the door when I knew this was my chance. I told Katniss that I would be right back, I just had to ask her mom something, and I ran out after her.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for the long wait, things have been really busy. Enjoy!

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Part 9: Katniss

Peeta sure is taking a long time, I thought to myself. I walked to the window to look outside and I saw my mother walking away and Peeta was just walking up to the door. I ran to the door.

"So, what was so important that you needed to talk to my mother right before she left to work for the night?" I raised my eyebrows, waiting for an answer. I wanted to know what he was up to.

"Hey now. Not everything I do is a huge plot you know!" He said this with such a shocked face that it was obvious that he was mocking me. He continued, "I was actually just asking her if it was alright if I slept in the same bed as you while I was here. Since were not married I just wanted to check and see if it was alright with her." She looked at me with surprise and raised her eyebrows again, asking another question without words. "I'm allowed by the way. Your mom just laughed when I asked and said that I was exempt from that rule." She just smiled and walked to our room to unpack a little bit.

I ended up taking a nap that afternoon, and when I woke up, Peeta was sitting next to me on the bed, playing with my hair. He looked down at me, "So it lives, huh?" I blushed and snuggled up to him. I looked outside, it was late afternoon. Then my stomach growled. Peeta laughed, and got up and walked to the kitchen. I followed him in to find a basket already packed full of food and a blanket under his arm.

"Well, are you ready?" I looked at him, then realized what we were doing. I smiled and walked over to him, grabbed the blanket and his hand, and we walked to the beach.

It was almost sunset when we got there. We set up our little picnic and watched the waves. This was one of my favourite districts. The beauty wasn't just in the town, it was also in the nature around it. The long beaches went on for miles. The waves were always crashing on the shore, and odd white birds would fly around calling to each other. Peeta asked me if we could come here when we were staying with Annie so he could learn to swim better. I agreed, I liked the idea of us being able to go swimming when ever we wanted to.

The sun finally was beginning to set, and it was beautiful. Peeta asked me if I wanted to take a walk. We got up and walked a small length of the beach before stopping and just watching the sun go down. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Peeta move, but I just thought he was going to put his arm around me. But then I saw him kneel. And out of his pocket he pulled a necklace, but as I looked at it, it wasn't just any necklace, it was my pearl. Our pearl. The pearl he have to me in the Quarter Quell.

I just looked at him, and he looked me right in the eye, grabbed both of my hands, took a deep breath and said, "Katniss, without any exaggeration, I have loved you since the day I saw you stand up and sing the valley song in school. It took many horrible things, and terrible sacrifices for us to get to this point, but over the past 6 months, we have grown so close, and I could never live without you. We both have our scars and wounds that won't ever heal, but if you could let me, I promise I will do whatever it takes to help you, for the rest of my life. I love you Katniss. Will you marry me?"

I was stunned. But it certainly did not take much thought before I was bobbing my head up and down and blubbering the word yes so many times that it almost didn't make sense. We were both crying and hugging and kissing as the sun went down, and just before the last rays of sun left the sky, he lifts up the pearl necklace. I look at it and realize that it has been surrounded by a swirl of silver metal and is connected onto a delicate chain to hang around my neck. He sees me examining it and explains that he sent it to Effie with the designs of how he wanted it to look, and she had it made so that she could bring it with her when they came to spruce us up a few months ago. I run my fingers over it and quietly say, "You know, if you put enough pressure on coal it turns into a pearl right?" I look up at him and we both start to laugh.

"Lets go back to Mom's, Peeta. I can't wait till the morning to show her!"

Part 10: Peeta

We walked back to her mother's home slowly, savouring the fact that we were now engaged for real. She kept on looking at her pearl. I was scared she was disappointed, so I explained it to her.

"I wanted to get you a Emerald of some sort to have made into a ring, but I was hoping you would like this better. I just knew it meant something to you, your mother said that you would sit up at night and roll it around with your fingers." She looked at me in surprise. "Your mother told me once you had left for the capitol. Right after you left they decided it was safe enough to give me my own compartment. Your mother was the one who helped me move my things. She was leaving and she turned around to tell me that you would stay up at night for hours staring at the pearl. She said that it was the last thing that I gave you to remember me by, and it meant the world to you. Then she looked right into my eyes and said, "She still loves you Peeta. And I know you still love her too." then she left. Today was the first time I've seen her since then."

She put it all together then, "So thats the reason that you ran after her today. You were asking for her permission to propose to me?"

I smiled at her, "I thought I should probably ask this time." We both started laughing again. "She was very happy when I asked. She just laughed and said she had expected this months ago, she just didn't know when, or if I would ask." I looked at her again, "You like it right?"

She stopped, and looked right at me, "Peeta, I would have probably been offended if you had gotten me anything else. I didn't even need anything, you know that."

I put my arms around her and hugged her. Then we continued back to her mom's house for the night.

The next morning I woke up and rolled over to see Katniss still fast asleep. I slowly got out of bed and walked to the kitchen. Katniss' mother was sitting at the table drinking coffee and reading the paper. She looked up at me and smiled, "So, I'm assuming things went well?"

I smiled at her and said, "Things went great. She loved the pearl. I think she might finally be ready to move on."

Her mother had gotten all of the fixings to make the Dried Plum and Orange Stew, so she had already started to make it. I crept into the room where we were staying to find Katniss still asleep. So I crawled up beside her and put my face right up to hers, nose to nose, and whistled loudly into her ear. I quickly put my head down onto the pillow and pretended to be asleep. She woke up really fast and almost fell out of bed because my face was so close to hers. I opened one eye, to see her startled face look at me with distain.

I grinned, sat up, kissed her on the nose and said, "Happy Birthday my lovely fiance."

She sat up and grinned at me, then grabbed my face and pulled me to her lips and kissed me with the most intensity I had ever gotten from her. I pulled away in shock and said, "You know, I think we better have this wedding as soon as possible if your gonna start kissing me like that all the time!"

She blushed and looked away, with a little shy smile on her face.


	6. Chapter 6

Hi Everyone! Now first off, I would like to say, with 100% sincerity I AM SO SORRY! It has been two months since my last post, and it will be another two months :(

I am going to try and finish what I have started for part 5, and then that will be it until I have quit my job and and stress free in SEPTEMBER. I have everything I plan on writing ready to go, I just have not had the time, nor will I have the time during this summer.

You guys have no idea how bad I feel, and the appreciation I feel for all of you guys who have started reading my story! I will try to finish the whole thing by the end of september/october. I plan on this being no more than 10 parts/20 chapters.

THANK YOU for being so patient, I will finish this story in september!

Love you all!


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